


Yeah, What Could've Been

by ifwallscouldspeak



Category: SKAM (Spain)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Ficlet, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifwallscouldspeak/pseuds/ifwallscouldspeak
Summary: Despite his best efforts, Alejandro finds himself checking Nora's Instagram. Again.
Kudos: 12





	Yeah, What Could've Been

**Author's Note:**

> This is a ficlet from my Tumblr - I'm in the process of moving all of them here, just to archive them better!
> 
> This is something I wrote during España S3, and is canon-compliant. It takes place a little bit after Nora posted about Miquel on her Insta, and is in Alejandro's POV.

**Wednesday, January 22, 11:34**

For what has to be the millionth time in less than twenty-four hours, Alejandro stares at the video on Nora’s Instagram. There’s no sound - he had checked that about a million times too - but it doesn’t stop him from turning the volume up on his phone anyway. He sighs, his feelings teetering between relief and disappointment when nothing happens.

He knows - yeah, he can admit this to himself - he should absolutely stop looking a the video. First, Nora has made it absolutely clear she wants nothing to do with him. Second, because it’s just making him upset over and over again. And third, because what’s the point? Isn’t that what his sister’s always told him too many times? _Ale, why do you keep going down the same path expecting to see new sights?_

He takes a deep inhale, leaning his head against the banister on the staircase. He closes his eyes briefly, about to get up when the thundering of steps coming down startles him. Just his luck, these days. He’d specifically chosen this staircase cause no one comes to the east side, and now, he’s gonna be caught by other students moping. Another excuse for them to whisper behind his back about what a dumb loser he’s turned out to be.

He glances up and behind him when the stomps become too loud to ignore, a decision he immediately regrets. It’s Nora’s friends, Eva, Lucas and Joana, laughing loudly and not even noticing him. A pang goes through him, because this is something he’s missing out on now, too. He doesn’t know them well, but after all those nights out… he _could’ve_.

They’re so loud and distracted now, just like they always are. He almost believes he can curl up into a ball and have them ignore him completely, when Eva turns his head and stares right back at Alejandro.

“Oh!” Eva says, turning slightly pink and tripping.

“Eva!”

Joana and Lucas reach out to stop her from tumbling down, but she falls slightly. Alejandro drops his phone and shoots up, grabbing onto Eva’s arms and steadying her before she can tumble down.

“Coño, Eva!” Lucas says, running down the stairs with Joana on his heels.

Alejandro can feel Eva’s still-shocked breathing beneath his arms. She looks up at him gratefully. Alejandro pauses for a moment, making sure she’s steady before letting go. As he does, Joana and Lucas flank her, laughing and telling her not to scare her like that. It’s all relieved ribbing and something _jabs_ deep in Alejandro’s chest. He looks away, not being able to even remember the last time someone took that kind of tone with him.

“Hey, thanks Po - Alejandro,” Eva says. “I - got surprised. Most people don’t come here.”

“Yeah,” Alejandro says awkwardly. “I know.”

“Uh, let me get that.”

Joana changes the subject, but her movements still make Alejandro fill with dread. Almost like she’s moving in slow motion, Alejandro watches as Joana leans down, picking his phone up from the staircase. His mouth goes dry as she turns the phone, screen-up, in her hands. He knows she’s not being intentionally nosey, but he can’t help but see her not be able to help look at the video on his screen. Her eyes go wide and she looks up at him.

He glances away from her, and towards Lucas and Eva. They are, thankfully, too busy teasing each other to see what’s happening. Alejandro’s heart beats slightly slower, but not by much. He clenches his jaw, embarrassed, and cant even look at Joana as she gently deposits his phone back into his hands. Her movements feel too careful; he stares down at her chipped black nail polish.

“Sometimes,” Joana says gently, “things are much different than how they seem.”

Alejandro barely feels his lips move, telling himself it’s not pity in her voice. “Not to her, they’re not.”

“Thanks for saving me again,” Eva says loudly. “We should get going.”

“Yeah, if we skip gym again we’re definitely screwed,” Lucas says.

It breaks the small moment, like a pin popping a balloon. Alejandro feels the air leaving through his nose as he breathes, trying to smile at them. He doesn’t even bother looking at Joana, feeling too cowardly to see what’s in her eyes.

“Later,” he says, not meaning it.

“Later,” Joana and Eva say in tandem.

The trio moves around him, Lucas’s denim jacket brushing against Alejandro’s hand. As they continue walking down, he stares at the tops of their heads. He clenches his jaw to keep himself from saying anything stupid, like asking how Nora is, how she’s doing, how she’s…

“Oh, before I forget,” Lucas turns his head again, smiling brightly up at Alejandro. “The boys and I are doing a game night on Saturday, you know. It’s about time someone beat Hugo’s ass in FIFA…”

Alejandro lies through his teeth, the pain of it all too sharp. “I’d love to, but I have something.”

Lucas nods like he knows the truth. “Next time.”

Alejandro spends longer than he’d ever admit standing there, long after they’ve left.


End file.
